blame it on my ADD baby
by TalkingToTulips
Summary: Prompt: Klaus' hallucinations during 1x14 play one of his biggest weakness, impending fatherhood. 1x14 drabble focusing on Klaus and his daughter.


**Inspired by a post on my tumblr and also**** a late birthday present for Kaitlin who asked me to write this out. I did my best, wifey because I loves you.**

**Prompt: Klaus' hallucinations during 1x14 play one of his biggest weakness, impending fatherhood.**

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Klaus had been chained to this table for days, the pain too much for him to attempt to move. If he somehow managed to get free, he would probably collapse from the agony and be right back where he started. The witches checked on him periodically because they seemed more interested in Rebekah whose screams Klaus had been listening to for days.

The hallucinations started to set in after a few days; he was starved of blood, in pain and listening to the screams of his baby sister. He needed to focus on something that would help him through the pain, something that could alleviate his agony for even a few minutes. He searched the deepest caves of his memories, looking for memories that weren't attached to pain or abandonment or fear or misery, and found himself coming up short.

For a while, he focused on memories of him and his siblings in their human forms; Rebekah being tripped over by Kol and cutting her knee when she was about five. Finn had pulled her over and wrapped up her knee until they could get home whilst Klaus and Elijah had chased Kol and pinned him down before forcing him to apologise. But of course thoughts of his dead brothers reminded him of their loss and it broke the semi peaceful aura he'd created for himself.

Instead, he thought of something pure and innocent that hadn't yet been tainted by loss or anger or pain. He thought of his unborn child, something that even he couldn't have ruined yet. Klaus remembered the nights that he'd laid awake listening out for the baby's heartbeat, strong and fast to remind him that she was alive and there. He closed his eyes tight, not noticing the tears that slipped out from his blurry eyes as he did and focused on that little life that was waiting for him when he got out of here.

That's when he heard it. A baby's cry somewhere in the halls of the mental hospital. Klaus opened his eyes and looked right towards the source of the noise but it was gone as quickly as it had begun.

He was too distracted looking towards the doorway of the room that had become his prison cell that he only caught sight of a small child, a girl, running past the table and giggling as she did. Klaus turned his head to try and catch a glimpse but he only caught sight of her sandy blonde curls. She must have been about two years old, unsteady on her feet but rushing past him without noticing him. Just like the baby's cry, the vision had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Klaus squeezed his eyes shut and focused a little harder, telling himself not to pay attention to anything he saw. It was all in his mind, it wasn't real, and it was all the witches. In the distance, he heard Rebekah scream again and forced himself not to shout her name like he had every time before. He clenched his fists and tried to shut himself down so he didn't feel anything, couldn't let it get to him.

"Daddy?" It was a child's voice, a girl's. For the first few seconds, Klaus ignored it but there was soon a tiny hand patting his sweat drenched curls in a desperate attempt to get his attention and the little voice rang out again. "Daddy, why are you crying?" The voice asked innocently. Klaus gave in and turned to the source of the sweet voice, opening his eyes.

Sure enough, there was a young girl about four standing by the table. She was barely old enough to see over the table and had to stretch to reach her father's hair, which was the same colour as her curls. She seemed to be some sort of enchanting mix of him and Hayley; he could see that she'd got Hayley's nose and eyes. Under her arm was a teddy bear but she wasn't paying much attention to the bear. Her brow was crinkled as she took in her father, not worried about the blood she was getting on her dress by leaning on the table. When Klaus didn't respond, too entranced by this vision, she spoke again. "Daddy?" She asked impatiently, a trait she must have gotten from here.

"You're not here." That was all he could manage in a raspy breath.

The little girl giggled. "Of course, I'm here, Daddy!"

"Which is more than I can say for you." This was a new voice, coming from Klaus' other side and spoke in an accusing, spiteful tone. He turned from the child to see the same girl but older sat on the windowsill. This time, she must have been nine or ten. She glared at her father and Klaus quickly turned back to the younger version, who was now gone. "You send me and Mama to live outside New Orleans for our protection and never come see us. Too busy and wrapped up in power for family, like always."

Klaus shut his eyes again, refusing to pay attention to this. This was all in his head, he couldn't let it get to him or affect him. He heard footsteps as this new version of his daughter approached the table and the sound of her pressing her hands into the table. He could hear her heartbeat and the pulse of her blood. "You always claim that it's too dangerous for you to be near me, but I think that's all a lie." She told her father.

"Well, of course, it's a lie."

Klaus opened his eyes at the new voice; the girl leaning over him had vanished and had been replaced by other version of the young girl. In the last ten seconds, she had grown to her early teenage years; about the age Henrik had been when he'd died. She was sat on the edge of the table by his feet, shaking her head with sadness. "Every word that comes out of your mouth is a lie. I figured that out early." She spoke in a matter of fact tone. Klaus took a shaky breath and tried to ignore his daughter's hateful words.

"You lie all the time: Aunt Rebekah has gone on a trip, you're moving me and Mama for our protection, you only wants what's best for me, being near me is dangerous for me, the list is completely endless. It's pathetic to think how many times you think you can lie to your own blood." She listed off things Klaus would tell her in the future. Though part of his brain knew not to engage with tricks of his mind, he couldn't stay silent anymore.

"I do what's best for you." He managed.

"Kill her and the baby. See if I care." The hallucination recited his words, his reaction to her existence on this earth. Klaus wanted to tell her that was another time, another him but he knew that it wouldn't make a bit of difference to her. He knew that he loved his daughter but these illusions were playing on his greatest fear: his fear of failing her. "Father of the year." She added sarcastically, echoing Hayley's own words.

"Destroying your child's faith in you again and again until there's none left. I'm not nearly as forgiving as Elijah." The girl continued, Klaus' eyes firmly fixed on her as she threw her hair over one shoulder and cast him an unforgiving glare. He'd seen that look on Rebekah before; he could see his sister in his daughter. He could even see hints of his mother. Whilst his mother had done unspeakable evil, he could never deny that his mother was beautiful and so was his daughter.

"At least Elijah will be there when you call." Another voice, another incarnation. This one stood in the doorway, about 16 years old with her arms crossed over her chest. The previous one disappeared the moment Klaus took his eyes off her. Now they were playing on his fear that his daughter would see Elijah as her father not him, prefer his noble brother's advice and comfort to his. She shrugged and sighed heavily, still glaring at her father.

"Elijah after all was there when the werewolves tried to kidnap me, you only killed them after he got me back as if that makes a bit of difference to me. Rebekah was there when I run away and some drunkard tried to pull me into an alleyway and I caused a small earthquake with the magic that you wouldn't let me study and learn to control." The light bulbs flickered for a few seconds and one of the windows exploded, spattering glass everywhere. "Too afraid that I'll end up like Esther."

"And Mama is the one whose there when I accidentally kill him and set off my werewolf curse." Klaus nearly swore when he saw his daughter's eyes go yellow for a second, indicating her unlocked werewolf gene. He'd hoped that his daughter never did unlock that part of herself; he didn't wish it on anyone. "You don't even come help me through my first full moon, whilst I scream in pain of all my bones breaking. I shout and cry for you, Daddy, but you never come." She raised her hand and flexed her fingers, causing one of Klaus' legs to break. Klaus yelled in pain, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You destroy everything; your family, your friends, people and places mean nothing to you unless they can get you more power. Why should I be any different?" This voice was much older and Klaus opened his eyes to see another ghost. She stood over him, one hand on the table and the other on her hip. This time she was in her early twenties, her long curls nearly half way back down her back. She looked more like Hayley and his mother now; she'd grown out of all his traits. "Elijah was so foolish to think that you could change." She decided.

She raised her hand and in it was the white oak stake. "Maybe he should have done this when he had the chance and put us both out of own miserable existence." She pondered as she raised the stake and went to plunge it in his heart.

Just as the stake collided with his chest, Klaus shouted in pain and Rebekah screamed, pulling him from his hallucination. He was covered in sweat and blood, the room was empty and the window was unbroken. The light bulb swung but it didn't flicker. He panted, putting his head back on the cool metal table and swearing to himself. The hallucinations would return soon, he knew. He could only hope that Elijah would find him before that happened.

A few minutes past before he heard the baby's cry again.


End file.
